Minority AIDS Project (MAP) of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

was established in 1985 by Archbishop Carl Bean, D.Min,

Jewel Thais-Williams Jewel Thais-Williams is a businesswoman and LGBTQI+ activist based in Los Angeles, the original owner of the Jewel's Catch One, Catch One, then known as Jewel's Catch One, and the first black woman in the United States to own a LGBT nightclub. E ...

, and members of the Unity Fellowship of Christ Church. MAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers free of charge

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

education, medical treatment, and support services to all people, regardless of age, gender, race, or other circumstances. MAP is the first community-based HIV/AIDS organization established and managed by people of color in the United States.

History

Black men and women are disproportionately impacted by

HIV/AIDS in the United States The AIDS epidemic, caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), found its way to the United States between the 1970s and 1980s, but was first noticed after doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in homosexu ...

. In 1985, African American and Latino men and women accounted for three times as many HIV/AIDS cases as white men and women. Digital Gallery: The Minority AIDS Project.
National Library of Medicine. After reading about

Carl Bean Carl Bean (May 26, 1944 – September 7, 2021) was an American singer and activist who was the founding prelate of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, a Liberal Christianity, liberal protestant denomination that is particularly welcoming of les ...

, a representative from the

National Institute of Mental Health The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH, in turn, is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the prima ...

called Bean with an idea to start a group that would address the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Black community.Traube, Trent (March 29, 2011)
Born This Way: Archbishop Carl Bean is gaga about AIDS advocacy—and his rediscovered disco classic.
POZ. Bean worked with “a core group of black women in L.A.” (including local business owner

), to establish the Minority AIDS Project (MAP) in 1985. MAP is recognized as one of nation’s first organization to serve AIDS patients in the Black community. Bean and members of the Unity Fellowship of Christ Church, including Gilberto “Gil” Gerald, who succeeded Bean as executive director of MAP in 1989, organized MAP to provide HIV/AIDS education, HIV testing, medical treatment, and social services for Los Angeles residents, particularly Blacks and Latinos in Central and South-Central Los Angeles.Jones, Charisse (January 9, 1991)
Minority AIDS Project May Fold, Appeals for Cash : Health: The Rev. Carl Bean says the outlook is bleak for his organization. He vows to fast until enough money is raised.
Los Angeles Times.Los Angeles Times (July 1, 1995)

/ref> MAP is the first community-based HIV/AIDS organization established and managed by people of color in the United States. At A Glance: MAP History
Minority AIDS Project.STORIES Circle Event #12: Minority AIDS Project.
The AIDS Monument. In collaboration with Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), MAP and Carl Bean were instrumental in increasing funding for the federal Minority AIDS Initiative from $156 million to more than $400 million in 2025. In 1987,

KTTV KTTV (channel 11) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV ou ...

produced for a 30-second

PSA PSA, PsA, Psa, or psa may refer to: Biology and medicine * Posterior spinal artery * Primary systemic amyloidosis, a disease caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins * Prostate-specific antigen, an enzyme used as a blood tracer for prost ...

for MAP. “AIDS HOTLINE" aired on the

Fox Network The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations a ...

station in Los Angeles. In 1987, MAP defended court challenges and accusations of “promoting homosexual activity” to receive a AIDS education grant from the

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States. History On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Sessions as their first ...

to serve the county’s Black and Latino communities. In 1988, MAP and

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles ch ...

hosted a special concert event, “Coming Home for Friends,” that featured performances by

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the ...

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

, and others, and raised $150,000 for the AIDS organization. The following year, MAP and Warwick partnered to host “Coming Home for Friends 2,” that featured entertainment by

Clifton Davis Clifton Duncan Davis (born October 4, 1945) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, minister, and author. Davis wrote The Jackson 5's No. 2 hit " Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1971. He appeared on Broadway in the musicals ''Two Gentlemen of Veron ...

Howard Hewett Howard Hewett Jr. (born October 1, 1955) is an American singer–songwriter. Hewett rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the group Shalamar. In 1985, he left the group to pursue his solo career, but he later returned to the group in 2001. He si ...

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1946) Retrieved . is an American singer. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit record in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Gramm ...

Keith Pringle Roy Keith Pringle (born August 6, 1952) is an American gospel musician and organist, who is the founder of Pentecostal Community Choir. His first album, "Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord", was released in 1979. He went on to relea ...

and other celebrities. In 1989, MAP began its

needle exchange program A needle and syringe programme (NSP), also known as needle exchange program (NEP), is a social service that allows injecting drug users (IDUs) to obtain clean and unused hypodermic needles and associated paraphernalia at little or no cost. It ...

. In July 1989, Bean and MAP were featured in a

BLK (magazine) ''BLK'' was a monthly American newsmagazine, similar in format to '' Time'' and ''The Advocate'', which targeted its coverage of people, events and issues to African-American LGBT readers. Published in Los Angeles, the magazine was initially d ...

cover story. In 1992, MAP launched Youth Employment Services (YES), a four year gang prevention program funded by the federal government and

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be p ...

. That same year, the

Social and Public Art Resource Center The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC or SPARCinLA) is a non-profit community arts center based in Venice, California. SPARC hosts exhibitions, sponsors workshops and murals, and lobbies for the preservation of Los Angeles area murals ...

sponsored and commissioned a community mural by artist Mary-Linn Hughes in collaboration with Tammy Moritz, Reginald Larue Zachary, and others, that appears on MAP’s Jefferson Boulevard headquarters. In September 1992, the

Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California. The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tem ...

approved a $594,000 loan to MAP for the Carl Bean AIDS Care Center, a 25-bed hospice in the West Adams District of Los Angeles. The Bean Center served primarily Black and Latino AIDS patients; approximately of MAP's clients are

Chicano Chicano or Chicana is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States. The label ''Chicano'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''Mexican American'', although the terms have different meanings. While Mexican-American ident ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

. In 2005, MAP and the House of Rodeo co-hosted the “Love Is A Message Ball,” to celebrate the

Ball culture The Ballroom Scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture that originated in New York City. Beginning in the late 20th century, Black and Lati ...

and to raise money and awareness for HIV/AIDS services in Los Angeles. In February 2006, the Carl Bean AIDS Care Center ceased operations. At the time, the center was the only AIDS hospice and 24-hour residential HIV/AIDS nursing care facility in Los Angeles.Kenslea, Ged (September 9, 2021
AHF Mourns Passing of Archbishop Carl Bean.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation. In 2011, artist and producer

designed a set of limited edition prints that were inspired by his classic rap songs and albums and donated a portion of the prints’ proceeds to MAP. On

World AIDS Day World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The acquired immun ...

, December 1, 2022, the Foundation for The AIDS Monument (FAM) and MAP co-hosted STORIES Circle #6, a FAM produced series that allows participants to share their HIV/AIDS stories and to network with others in the HIV/AIDS community. Beatitude Bishop Zachary Jones, an early MAP volunteer and staff member, and then MAP CEO Russell Thornhill were the featured speakers. In June 2024, MAP hosted STORIES Circle #12, and announced plans for FAM’s construction of the STORIES: The AIDS Monument in

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

Programs

The Minority AIDS Project (MAP) provides free of charge programs and services to all people, regardless of race. More than 250,000 people have benefited from MAP’s services. The organization maintains an annual operating budget of greater than one million dollars. MAP's programs include Benefits Specialty Services; Bilingual Mental Health Services; access to a Community Food Pantry; Community Service Program; Free HIV Home Test Kits; Health Education Activities; HIV Counseling and Rapid Testing; In-Home Registered Nurse Case Management; PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention) and PEP (Post-exposure prophylaxis) Referrals and Resources; Linkage To Care (LTC) Case Management Services; MAP Anti-Violence Intervention Program; and a Mobile Medical Street Team (MMST), in partnership with

Charles R. Drew University Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a private historically black graduate school in Willowbrook, California. It was founded in 1966 in response to inadequate medical access within the Watts, Los Angeles, California, Watts region ...

and Kedren Medical Community. MAP’s case managers and volunteers help clients to obtain public benefits, individual and group counseling, job leads and employment, rental and mortgage assistance, financial support, and other social services. MAP has managed a home for AIDS patients, Dignity House.

Funders

MAP has received financial support from the City of Los Angeles;Renwick, Lucille (October 4, 1992)
A Different Front in the AIDS War : Minority Activists, Facing Cultural and Religious Stigmas Tied to the Deadly Disease, Count on a Sense of Community in Fighting the Epidemic.
''Los Angeles Times''. Los Angeles County; State of California; and government agencies. In addition to government assistance, MAP has received donations from the

California Community Foundation The California Community Foundation (CCF) is a philanthropic organization located in Los Angeles, California. Foundation Center, an independent nonprofit organization, ranks it among the top 100 foundations in the nation by asset size and total ...

; Who funds Minority Aids Project Los Angeles.
Cause IQ.

David Bohnett Foundation The David Bohnett Foundation is a global private foundation that gives grants to organizations that focus on its core giving areas – primarily Los Angeles area programs and LGBT rights in the United States, as well as leadership initiatives and ...

;

Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

; Johnny Carson Foundation;

Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente (; KP), commonly known simply as Kaiser, is an American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield. Kaiser ...

;

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in th ...

;

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

;

Silicon Valley Community Foundation The Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) is a donor-advised community foundation serving the Silicon Valley region. It is the largest charitable foundation in Silicon Valley. History Early history: 2006–2011 Silicon Valley Community F ...

; The Robert Nelson Foundation, and others.

Notable people

* Archbishop Carl Bean, D.Min (1944-2021), co-founder, and executive director (1985-1989) * Rev. Elder Claude E. Bowen, chief operating officer, administration (1988-2005) * Rev. Leslie Burke, RN, MPH, JD, M.Div. PHN, member, board of directors (1987-); RN case manager; executive director, Carl Bean AIDS Care Center (1992-?) * Gilberto “Gil” Gerald, co-founder, and executive director (1989-1990) Gilberto Gerald: Panamanian LGBTQ+ rights activist and organizer.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. * Rev. Gerald N. Green, co-executive director (2023-) MAP Announces New Leadership.
Minority AIDS Project. * Wilbert C. Jordan, MD, MPH, chief medical advisor, emeritus (1985-2023) About Us: Our Leadership.
Minority AIDS Project. * Victor McKamie, street outreach worker (1989-); executive director and CEO (2004-2018)California State University, Dominguez Hills (December 7, 2017)
Alumnus Victor McKamie Helps MAP a Better Life for Those with HIV/AIDS
* Roger Quinney, LCSW, PsyD, member, board of directors * Rev. Benita Ramsey, MA, J.D., LL.M, chair, board of directors * Riki Smith, CPA, chief financial officer (-2023); co-executive director (2023-) *

, co-founder * Rev. Russell E. Thornhill, MAOM, MA, chief executive officer (2018-2023); and secretary, board of directors * Bishop Zachary Young“Bishop Zachary Jones , Oral History”, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed February 06, 2025, https://lgbtqreligiousarchives.org/oral-histories/zachary-jones.

References

{{reflist

History

Programs

Funders

Notable people

References

Further reading